Day 1: Arrival, The Patagonian Adventure Starts
Let's start adventure! We'll pick you up in the city of Punta Arenas or from the Punta Arenas airport in the morning and take a scenic drive to Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza.” Upon arrival in Puerto Natales, we'll drop you off at your hotel and you'll have the rest of the day to relax and prepare for the big race.
Overnight at 3-star hotel in Puerto Natales
Day 2: Patagonian International Marathon - Competition Day
Today is the day of the marathon. After a light breakfast, we'll take you to the starting point of the marathon. The event features four race distances: ultra-marathon (60 km), marathon (42 km), half marathon (21 km) and 10km. Each race distance will have different starting points, but everyone finishes in the same location.
The race route has magical and breathtaking landscapes with mountains of granite and ice that rise more than 2,500 meters above the race route. Multi-colored lakes and wildlife are abundant, including condors, guanacos, foxes, huemul, pumas, and rhea, among others. The surface of the route is a winding gravel road with a total climb (ascent + descent) of 2,400 meters (for 60k). Also be prepared for some strong winds and possibly unpredictable Patagonian weather (it's part of the adventure).
After your glorious finish, we'll pick you up and take you to EcoCamp, the world's first geodesic dome hotel. Our staff will greet you and you'll have a chance to explore our beautiful camp, with the beaming Paine Towers as a backdrop.
In the upcoming days, you'll join our Wildlife Safari program, choosing between treks or nature walks in the park.
Day 3: Excursions
Choose one of the following excursion options:
Trek Cerro Paine:
After a tasty breakfast at EcoCamp, we'll head to Cerro Paine, a nearby mountain characterized by its two imposing peaks. This is a demanding trek of 16 km with an altitude of 1200 m and an estimated hiking time of 7 hours. Highlights include the lenga forest, mountains, glaciers, the pampa and an unforgettable lookout of the Towers and the Ascencio Valley. After taking in one of the most striking views in the national park, we'll backtrack along the same trail and return to EcoCamp for a much deserved rest and dinner.
Nature Walk to Salto Grande El condor Lookout:
After breakfast, we'll head westwards by van, taking a route along the southern shore of Nordenskjold Lake. Our first stop is the magnificent Salto Grande Waterfall, with its impressive cascading waters falling from Nordenskjold Lake into Pehoe Lake. From here it's a short walk to Cuernos viewpoint, with a panoramic view of the mighty Horns. From the viewpoint, we'll drive to Pehoe Lake and begin the two-hour round-trip walk to El Condor Lookout from its shores. We'll go gently uphill through the steppe vegetation; a great opportunity to learn about the local flora. Here we witness the piercing blueness of Pehoe Lake and the Paine river. On a clear day, we can see the immensity of the Southern Patagonian ice fields in the distance. It's a chance to take in the whole Paine Mountain range and its stunning snowcapped peaks. After a hearty lunch in this perfect location, we'll backtrack along the same trail and drive back to EcoCamp.
Day 4: Excursions
Choose one of the following excursion options:
Nature Walk to Laguna Azul: On our way to Laguna Azul, we'll have the chance to enjoy some epic views of the famous Torres. We'll also pass through the Pampa Guanaco, where we will be lucky to spot many elegant guanacos. After soaking up these beautiful surroundings, we will continue our drive to Laguna Azul, where a picnic lunch will have been prepared for us! We'll enjoy our picnic lunch looking out over the lake, with a view of the three granite Towers in the distance. After lunch, we will walk south to Macho Cañon to observe the typical fauna of the Torres del Paine, including more guanaco herds. From here we will jump into our van again and head back to the EcoCamp -- just in time for cocktail hour!
Trek to Base of the Towers: After a hearty breakfast we'll set off from EcoCamp towards Hostería Las Torres and join the uphill path to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Dry mountain spots, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge comes as we climb the steep moraine, a mass of boulders leading us towards one of the world's most famous views overlooking the Towers. The famous Torres del Paine (2,900 m/ 9,400 ft) consist of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After an uphill slog, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp. Dome sweet dome!
Day 5: Departure Day
Today our adventure comes to a close. We'll take an early morning shuttle and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas to catch the evening flight to Santiago. On the way, we will make a stop in Puerto Natales to have a delicious lunch. Adios Patagonia!
